Constitutional Law, Criminal law, Society

Notorious Killer Denied Injunction Over Kosher Food On Death Row

1415900687791_wps_28_steven_hayes_2014_photo_jYou may recall the case seven years ago of the horrific rape, murder, and arson case out of Connecticut involving Steven Hayes. He and a friend raped and murdered a mother and two daughters in a savage home invasion. He is now on death row but Hayes is not happy with his meals. He is an Orthodox Jew and insisted that his kosher meals were not being prepared with sufficient attention to religious rules and thereby forcing him to “choose between following God and starving or choosing sin to survive.” A court has rejected the motion for preliminary injunctive relief.

Continue reading “Notorious Killer Denied Injunction Over Kosher Food On Death Row” →

Bizarre, International, Military, Politics, Society

The Iraqi Ghost Army: The Equivalent Of Four Divisions Found To Be Nonexistent

250px-Army_of_the_deadIn movies like The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, a ghost army can be a decisive advantage for a besieged army. It appears that Iraq has not just a ghost army but one that is 50,000 strong. The “ghost soldiers” were discovered in an investigation as the latest example of corruption in the country where literally billions of dollars in U.S. aid have disappeared without a trace.

Continue reading “The Iraqi Ghost Army: The Equivalent Of Four Divisions Found To Be Nonexistent” →

Bizarre

Town Mistakingly Posts Signs Threatening $250 Fines For Uncollected Poop And Then Told That The Fine Is Only $25 . . . So Town Moves To Change Law To Fit The Signs

Screen Shot 2014-12-01 at 6.31.46 AMGiven the pig poop story this morning, we might as well continue the scatilogical theme. The Town of North Hempstead has made a rather interesting decision that seems to confirm the view of many that some laws are solutions in search of a problem. The government put up new signs around the town threatening $250 fines for dog waste violations, but received complaints that the law actually sets the fine at $25. A typo had increased the fine 10 fold. No problem, the town said, we will change the law to match the signs.

Continue reading “Town Mistakingly Posts Signs Threatening $250 Fines For Uncollected Poop And Then Told That The Fine Is Only $25 . . . So Town Moves To Change Law To Fit The Signs” →

Congress, Constitutional Law, Courts, Free Speech, International, Justice, Lawyering, Politics, Uncategorized

Corporate Greed

department of treasury

Respectfully submitted by Lawrence E. Rafferty (rafflaw) Weekend Contributor

Now that we have celebrated Thanksgiving, I was struck by the news that Congress is considering legislation that would grant large tax breaks to corporate citizens and actually remove tax breaks for the poor and the middle class.

‘ “This Congress seems willing to give huge tax cuts to big businesses—who are already doing better than ever—but somehow can’t prevent tax increases on 50 million working Americans that will occur when expansions of the Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit expire,” Harry Stein, the Associate Director for Fiscal Policy at American Progress Action Fund, told ThinkProgress. “This is a great deal for CEOs and a terrible deal for struggling families.”’ Nation of Change  Continue reading “Corporate Greed” →

Academia, International, Politics, Religion, Society

Turkish Government Building Mosques On University Campuses

By Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor

blue-mosqueIn another sign of what formerly was a secular state that is now becoming more Islamist, the Religious Affairs Leader of Turkey, Mehmet Görmez, announced his department was constructing eighty mosques at various universities countrywide.

The Article 136 of the Turkish Constitution does provide for an official department, The Diyanet İşleri Başkanlığı, as it is known by formal name, “to execute the works concerning the beliefs, worship, and ethics of Islam, enlighten the public about their religion, and administer the sacred worshiping places.” After the dismantling of the caliphate in 1924, the department was formed.

Under Turkey’s former President Abdulla Gül who served from 2007 to August of 2014, the nation began separating from its secular practices. The latest announcement could be a sign that the government wishes to further instill Islam into the social fabric of future generations; beyond what was a long standing leaning toward separation of government and religion.

Continue reading “Turkish Government Building Mosques On University Campuses” →

Bizarre, Criminal law

Former Deputy Prosecutor Accused Of Sending Bikini Photo And Texts To Inmate Pleads Guilty

By Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor

Matthew-Baumrucker-and-Marriya-Wrightmarriya-wright-1We previously reported HERE the bizarre case of Spokane County Deputy Prosecutor Marriya Wright who was charged with Rendering Criminal Assistance in the First Degree after a relationship she had with a wanted felon. She was alleged to have assisted him escape justice. Yet, after he was located and incarcerated, Marriya continued her correspondence through multiple visits and even provided him a bikini photo of herself. The relationship ultimately cost Marriya her job and led to criminal charges.

Continue reading “Former Deputy Prosecutor Accused Of Sending Bikini Photo And Texts To Inmate Pleads Guilty” →

Academia, Science, Society

Are You Even Listening To Me? Well, Scientifically . . . No

an-experiment-on-a-bird-in-the-air-pump-1768.jpg!BlogNow this is a study that any parent, particularly mothers, can verify with field research. A group of neuroscientists from the Universities of Pittsburgh, California-Berkeley and Harvard, and led by Kyung Hwa Lee have found that pre-teenage and teenage brains actually appear to partially shutdown when hearing criticism from mothers. In the meantime, another set of scientists have discovered a possible way to cut off pain — creating the ultimate possibility for teenagers to hear and feel nothing.

Continue reading “Are You Even Listening To Me? Well, Scientifically . . . No” →

Constitutional Law, Religion, Society

Video Goes Viral Of Iranian Woman Reportedly Protesting Restrictions With A Spontaneous Dance On The Subway

Screen Shot 2014-11-28 at 7.44.37 AMThe video below was posted on YouTube to show what people are saying is one of the spontaneous protests in Tehran by Iranian women. The woman reportedly danced on Tehran’s metro in protest against laws limiting women and such public displays.

Continue reading “Video Goes Viral Of Iranian Woman Reportedly Protesting Restrictions With A Spontaneous Dance On The Subway” →

Animals, Bizarre, Environment, Science, Society

New Jersey Student Takes Picture Of Black Bear Before Being Mauled To Death in First New Jersey Black Bear Fatality

hiker-3As many readers of this blog know, I love to hike and bring back pictures from the various trails of wildlife so this story was particularly chilling for me. Darsh Patel was hiking with his four friends when they spotted a black bear in New Jersey and stopped to take pictures. Patel continued to take five pictures with his cellphone as the 300-pound bear charged and killed him.

Continue reading “New Jersey Student Takes Picture Of Black Bear Before Being Mauled To Death in First New Jersey Black Bear Fatality” →

Society

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. We begin this day as the Turleys have for over 40 years with our Turkey bowl football game. Then, after I put on our turkeys, I get to watch the Chicago Bears play the Detroit Lions today! We then follow with my favorite meal of the year with roughly a large assemblage of friends and family. It is hard to imagine a better day (beyond the other Bears prevailing in a towering victory for Monsters of the Midway).

Continue reading “HAPPY THANKSGIVING!” →

Bizarre, Free Speech, International, Politics, Religion, Society

Pakistan Anti-Terrorism Court Sentences Married Couple And Network Owner To A Total of 104 Years For “Blasphemous” Television Program

Screen Shot 2014-11-26 at 10.12.15 PMVeena Malik, along with her husband Asad Bashir Khan Khattak and former network owner Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman to a total of 104 years in jail in the latest absurd blasphemy prosecution based on Sharia law. Malik, an actress, was given 26 years in jail by a Pakistani anti-terrorism court for “malicious acts” of blasphemy for reenacting the marriage of the Prophet Mohammed’s daughter.

Continue reading “Pakistan Anti-Terrorism Court Sentences Married Couple And Network Owner To A Total of 104 Years For “Blasphemous” Television Program” →

Constitutional Law, Courts, Criminal law, Free Speech, Politics, Society, Supreme Court

Rape By Fraud: New Jersey Legislator Seeks To Make It A Crime Pretend You Are “Someone [You] Are Not” To Have Sex With Another Person

singleton_colorAssemblyman Troy Singleton (D-Mount Laurel) has introduced a controversial measure that would change the law in New Jersey to criminalize lies used to get someone to have sex. While such lies are notorious but common elements in many pickup situations, Singleton calls such acts as “rape by fraud.”

Continue reading “Rape By Fraud: New Jersey Legislator Seeks To Make It A Crime Pretend You Are “Someone [You] Are Not” To Have Sex With Another Person” →

Congress, Constitutional Law, Courts, Politics, Society

Obama: “I Just Took An Action To Change The Law” On Immigration

Screen Shot 2014-11-26 at 9.27.01 AMThere was an unscripted moment for President Barack Obama yesterday that might make Justice Department lawyers defending the recent unilateral changes to immigration laws a bit uneasy. The President was faced with an understandably annoying problem of hecklers who interrupted his speech demanding an end to deportations of anyone. The President responded with a clearly justified admonishment that they should let him speak, but he added in obvious frustration “What you’re not paying attention to is the fact that I just took an action to change the law.” That is what the Administration lawyers have striven to deny. They are insisting that this was not a change in law (which is a legislative act) but the exercise of discretion allowed under the law.

Continue reading “Obama: “I Just Took An Action To Change The Law” On Immigration” →